Times Staff/Robert J. Gurecki. Sandra Giannella, Lansdowne library director, left, with performer in the video Armani Brown. The video was created by members of the William Penn School district.

Local teens who frequent Lansdowne Public Library were hoping to inspire other young people to hit the books, both printed and electronic, when they produced a light-hearted parody of a Michael Jackson tune called "Read It."

But on Nov. 19, three days after the video debuted at the dedication of the library's Ronnie Hawkins Resource Room, they found their three-minute take-off on Jackson's 1983 hit "Beat It," had been blocked by Sony/ATV Music Publishing from appearing on YouTube.

"They blocked it not because of the music, but because they said the lyrics are not a parody. They said it's a 'message' not a parody," said the video's editor, Abbe Klebanoff, head of public services for Lansdowne Public Library.

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The teens and some library staffers quickly made another video for YouTube titled "Just UN Ban-It" that runs one minute and 33 seconds.

"My feelings are crushed. This took us many weeks to prepare," said Penn Wood High School student Armani Brown of "Read It's" corporate banishment from YouTube.

"I want to just 'Read It', but we can't," said Madison Ruffin, a seventh-grader at St. Andrew School in Upper Darby, as she re-enacted some of the dance moves from the video.

Monday afternoon, Sony spokesman Jimmy Asci declined to elaborate on the company's initial decision to block the Internet broadcast of "Read It", saying only, "A request was made to change the lyrics. That request was denied." Sony/ATV Music Publishing administers the copyright for Michael Jackson's music on behalf of John Branca, executor of the Jackson estate, explained Asci.

Early Monday evening, after Klebanoff traveled to New York City to entreat Sony executives to change their minds and after inquiries from the press, Ashley Collier from Sony's licensing department in Nashville, Tenn., informed Klebanoff that "Read It" could air on the library website -- lansdownepubliclibrary.com --until June 30, 2013.

"It may not be posted on any other site (including but not limited to Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo, etc.)," Collier stated in an email to Klebanoff.

"You can't put it on YouTube? What's the point? If it's online, it's online," said Klebanoff, who noted she was happy, at least, that the students who produced the video could show their families their accomplishments.

Giannella said representatives of the William Penn School District, the Delaware County Library System and the Pennsylvania Library Association all wanted to put "Read It" on their web feeds as part of the PA Forward initiative to promote the benefits of libraries. Teens, in particular, are hard to reach, she noted.

"It's a ban from allowing us to reach a broader audience and to spread our message which is, 'Read it,'" said Giannella.

The video was produced by members of the Lansdowne Public Library Teen Advisory Board and other youngsters who frequent the library's teen room, now known as the Ronnie Hawkins room in honor of a late library staff member who advocated for youth programs.

"After school, they congregate there and do homework and participate in after-school programs. It's a real safe, educational environment," said Klebanoff.

Giannella, who saw Michael Jackson in concert around 1972 when she was a youngster, said she thought a "Read It" video was a natural considering "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1984 parody of "Beat It," called "Eat It."

"I told Abbe and she told the kids who wanted to do it right away. They're so bummed out. They just got slammed by Sony," said Giannella.

Since Nov. 20, Klebanoff had been communicating with Collier via email and telephone in an effort to restore "Read It" to YouTube on behalf of about 16 middle and high school students from the Lansdowne area who had spent two months writing the new lyrics and choreographing the video that featured them entering the library through the book drop and fencing with bookmarks. They produced the video on their iPads. Collier told Klebanoff last week, "The usage has already been denied by our approval party; you may not in any way utilize the work."

Klebanoff decided to appeal to Branca and, on Monday, contacted his law office in Los Angeles via telephone. She was told to send an email pleading her case, but no time line was given for a response.

Sunday night, she traveled to New York City to stay with a friend in the hope of also pleading her case Monday to Sony executives at their Madison Avenue headquarters. She got as far as a receptionist who referred her by phone to another receptionist who said he couldn't help her without her giving him the name of a specific Sony executive. He then turned her away.

"I went to New York and was roundly kicked to the curb," said Klebanoff.

Around 3:45 p.m. Monday, after receiving an inquiry from the press, Collier informed Klebanoff that Jackson's estate was "re-evaluating and needs more information." By early evening, Collier told Klebanoff that "Read It" could be aired on the Lansdowne library's website from Nov. 26 until June 30, 2013.

Asci declined any comment from Sony executives on the decision to allow partial use of the "Beat It" parody on Monday evening.

Klebanoff did contact a copyright attorney who, she said, felt "Read It" did not present any infringement on Jackson's legacy.

"He said this is fair use, you're a public library, you're not making any money at all," said Klebanoff, who noted she could not afford $500 an hour to hire the lawyer.

Giannella believes the late "King of Pop" would have appreciated the students' video effort to raise reading awareness, especially in light of American libraries' ongoing struggle to survive.

"People that own the franchise to the Michael Jackson legacy, they're making decisions that go completely against what I think Michael Jackson's spirit would have wanted for teens," said Giannella. "If he had seen this 'Read It' video, I think he would have blessed it."